Verdict
The XMG Pro 18 scores well on nearly every front when it comes to features and performance. Buyers can choose their configuration, with only a few components fixed. Our review unit has plenty of modern ports, a bright 300 Hz display, generous amounts of memory and storage that come at a price, and a very powerful processor. The Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus should have more than enough performance headroom for the next few years.
The GeForce RTX 5070 Ti is somewhat less future-proof. Its 12 GB of VRAM gives it a clear advantage over the RTX 5070’s 8 GB, and the GPU can still run nearly all games at maximum settings at the display’s native resolution of 2,560 × 1,600. Over the long term, though, 12 GB of VRAM may be less than ideal for a high-end laptop at this price. DLSS and Frame Generation are available if needed.
There’s little to fault in the input devices, battery capacity, or sound. The 18-inch laptop earns an excellent overall rating of 87%, ahead of most competitors, which generally leave more room for improvement.
Pros
Cons
Price and availability
The XMG Pro 18 M26 starts at €3,299 at Bestware. Our well-equipped review unit currently costs just under €4,100, which is fairly expensive for a laptop with an RTX 5070 Ti.
Translator's note: Schenker laptops are not officially available in North America.
Specifications
Case, features, and input devices
Schenker uses metal for the lid and plastic for the base. The chassis feels rigid, and the sturdy hinges let the lid open to about 140°. Build quality is good, with no obvious flaws. The understated design is typical of Schenker. The touchpad is large (about 15 × 9.5 cm), and there’s plenty of room to rest your palms. The standout, though, is the RGB keyboard, whose crisp typing feel is reminiscent of a good mechanical keyboard.
Ports are located on the left, right, and rear, with Thunderbolt 4 a notable inclusion. Removing several Phillips-head screws gives access to the internals, which include three fans, two M.2 slots, and two RAM slots. The Wi-Fi 7 module is also accessible and delivers good speeds.
| Networking | |
| iperf3 transmit Wi-Fi6/7 RT-BE96U | |
| Average Intel Wi-Fi 7 BE200 320MHz (1961 - 4122, n=5) | |
| Average of class Gaming (718 - 4473, n=14, last 2 years) | |
| Schenker XMG Pro 18 M26 | |
| iperf3 receive Wi-Fi6/7 RT-BE96U | |
| Average Intel Wi-Fi 7 BE200 320MHz (2146 - 3487, n=5) | |
| Schenker XMG Pro 18 M26 | |
| Average of class Gaming (788 - 3208, n=14, last 2 years) | |
Display
For the display, Schenker uses a 16:10 IPS panel that aims to attract buyers with above-average brightness. At just under 485 cd/m², outdoor use is theoretically possible, although the device's weight of 2.9 kg makes it better suited to stationary use. Contrast is approximately 1,550:1, also one of the best results in the comparison group, unless you opt for a device with an OLED screen. There is nothing to criticize about the color gamut either: DCI-P3 is covered almost completely, and 86% AdobeRGB coverage is equally respectable. This is complemented by solid response times by IPS standards.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 92 %
Center on Battery: 512 cd/m²
Contrast: 1552:1 (Black: 0.33 cd/m²)
ΔE ColorChecker Calman: 3.38 | ∀{0.5-29.43 Ø4.68}
ΔE Greyscale Calman: 4.1 | ∀{0.09-98 Ø4.93}
86.4% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 3D)
100% sRGB (Argyll 3D)
98.6% Display P3 (Argyll 3D)
Gamma: 2.453
CCT: 7236 K
| Schenker XMG Pro 18 M26 NE180QD1-MZ2, IPS, 2560x1600, 18", 300 Hz | Asus TUF Gaming A18 FA808UP-S8022W NE180WUM-NY3 (BOE0CEF), IPS, 1920x1200, 18", 144 Hz | Acer Nitro 18 AI AN18-61-R10V BOEhydis NE180QDM-NY1, IPS, 2560x1600, 18", 165 Hz | Gigabyte Gaming A18 Pro BOE NE180QD1-MY0, IPS, 2560x1600, 18", 165 Hz | MSI Vector A18 HX A9W AU Optronics B180QAN01.0, IPS, 2560x1600, 18", 240 Hz | Medion Erazer Beast 18 X1 MD62731 BOEhydis NE180QDM-NZ2, IPS, 2560x1600, 18", 240 Hz | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display | -18% | -1% | -1% | -0% | -1% | |
| Display P3 Coverage (%) | 98.6 | 69.3 -30% | 97.2 -1% | 96.9 -2% | 98.1 -1% | 97.1 -2% |
| sRGB Coverage (%) | 100 | 98.1 -2% | 99.9 0% | 100 0% | 99.9 0% | 99.9 0% |
| AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage (%) | 86.4 | 67.9 -21% | 84.8 -2% | 84.6 -2% | 86.3 0% | 84.7 -2% |
| Response Times | -1% | 11% | 5% | 28% | 29% | |
| Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% * (ms) | 15.7 ? | 8 ? 49% | 6.8 ? 57% | 7.6 ? 52% | 4.3 ? 73% | 5.6 ? 64% |
| Response Time Black / White * (ms) | 6.9 ? | 10.4 ? -51% | 9.4 ? -36% | 9.9 ? -43% | 8.1 ? -17% | 7.3 ? -6% |
| PWM Frequency (Hz) | ||||||
| Screen | -13% | -18% | -47% | -14% | -22% | |
| Brightness middle (cd/m²) | 512 | 351 -31% | 317 -38% | 317 -38% | 543 6% | 478 -7% |
| Brightness (cd/m²) | 485 | 332 -32% | 288 -41% | 291 -40% | 502 4% | 456 -6% |
| Brightness Distribution (%) | 92 | 89 -3% | 87 -5% | 88 -4% | 86 -7% | 89 -3% |
| Black Level * (cd/m²) | 0.33 | 0.26 21% | 0.28 15% | 0.29 12% | 0.56 -70% | 0.4 -21% |
| Contrast (:1) | 1552 | 1350 -13% | 1132 -27% | 1093 -30% | 970 -37% | 1195 -23% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 3.38 | 2.89 14% | 5.16 -53% | 5.29 -57% | 3.41 -1% | 3.94 -17% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 5.13 | 7.91 -54% | 0.75 85% | 12.02 -134% | 6.4 -25% | 8.6 -68% |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 4.1 | 4.46 -9% | 7.4 -80% | 7.5 -83% | 3.4 17% | 5.5 -34% |
| Gamma | 2.453 90% | 2.46 89% | 2.093 105% | 2.267 97% | 2.3 96% | 2.212 99% |
| CCT | 7236 90% | 7132 91% | 6553 99% | 6824 95% | 6070 107% | 7059 92% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated * | 0.93 | 2.42 | 0.64 | 0.66 | 0.75 | |
| Total Average (Program / Settings) | -11% /
-12% | -3% /
-10% | -14% /
-28% | 5% /
-4% | 2% /
-10% |
* ... smaller is better
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 6.9 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 2.1 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 4.8 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows very fast response rates in our tests and should be very well suited for fast-paced gaming. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 22 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (19.6 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| 15.7 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 7.5 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 8.2 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows good response rates in our tests, but may be too slow for competitive gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.13 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 31 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (30.6 ms). | ||
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
| Screen flickering / PWM not detected |  | ||
In comparison: 52 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 7550 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 343500) Hz was measured. | |||
Performance
The processor is the standout in terms of performance and firmly ranks among high-end CPUs. Buyers can choose SSD and RAM capacities to suit their needs.
Test conditions
The preinstalled Control Center offers several operating modes. We used the Balanced profile for the battery test and ran all other measurements in Overboost mode without any additional GPU overclocking.
| Mode | Balanced | Enthusiast | Overboost (Normal, OC off) |
| Cyberpunk 2077 noise level | 36 - 41 dB(A) | 46 dB(A) | 49 dB(A) |
| Cyberpunk 2077 frame rate (FHD/Ultra) | fluctuates | 127.9 fps | 131.8 fps |
| Cinebench R15 multi-core score | 3626 points | 4947 points | 6009 points |
Processor performance
Intel’s Arrow Lake–based Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus has 24 cores and can process 24 threads simultaneously. Its other specifications, including cache capacity, are also quite respectable, as detailed on our CPU page. In our benchmark suite, the high-end Intel chip performs almost identically to AMD’s Zen 5–based Ryzen 9 9955HX, which has fewer cores (16) but supports more threads (32).
Cinebench R15 multi-core loop test
* ... smaller is better
AIDA64: FP32 Ray-Trace | FPU Julia | CPU SHA3 | FPU SinJulia | FPU Mandel | CPU AES | CPU ZLib | FP64 Ray-Trace | CPU PhotoWorxx | CPU CheckMate
| Performance rating | |
| MSI Vector A18 HX A9W -1! | |
| Schenker XMG Pro 18 M26 | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus | |
| Average of class Gaming | |
| Medion Erazer Beast 18 X1 MD62731 -1! | |
| Asus TUF Gaming A18 FA808UP-S8022W -1! | |
| Acer Nitro 18 AI AN18-61-R10V -1! | |
| Gigabyte Gaming A18 Pro | |
| AIDA64 / FP32 Ray-Trace | |
| MSI Vector A18 HX A9W (v6.92.6600) | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus (29285 - 43239, n=8) | |
| Average of class Gaming (10227 - 85542, n=105, last 2 years) | |
| Schenker XMG Pro 18 M26 (v8.20.8100) | |
| Medion Erazer Beast 18 X1 MD62731 (v6.92.6600) | |
| Acer Nitro 18 AI AN18-61-R10V (v6.92.6600) | |
| Asus TUF Gaming A18 FA808UP-S8022W (v6.92.6600) | |
| Gigabyte Gaming A18 Pro (v8.20.8100) | |
| AIDA64 / FPU Julia | |
| MSI Vector A18 HX A9W (v6.92.6600) | |
| Schenker XMG Pro 18 M26 (v8.20.8100) | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus (152663 - 218895, n=8) | |
| Average of class Gaming (51376 - 372155, n=105, last 2 years) | |
| Medion Erazer Beast 18 X1 MD62731 (v6.92.6600) | |
| Asus TUF Gaming A18 FA808UP-S8022W (v6.92.6600) | |
| Acer Nitro 18 AI AN18-61-R10V (v6.92.6600) | |
| Gigabyte Gaming A18 Pro (v8.20.8100) | |
| AIDA64 / CPU SHA3 | |
| MSI Vector A18 HX A9W (v6.92.6600) | |
| Schenker XMG Pro 18 M26 (v8.20.8100) | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus (7331 - 10115, n=8) | |
| Medion Erazer Beast 18 X1 MD62731 (v6.92.6600) | |
| Average of class Gaming (2180 - 10115, n=105, last 2 years) | |
| Asus TUF Gaming A18 FA808UP-S8022W (v6.92.6600) | |
| Acer Nitro 18 AI AN18-61-R10V (v6.92.6600) | |
| Gigabyte Gaming A18 Pro (v8.20.8100) | |
| AIDA64 / FPU SinJulia | |
| MSI Vector A18 HX A9W (v6.92.6600) | |
| Asus TUF Gaming A18 FA808UP-S8022W (v6.92.6600) | |
| Average of class Gaming (4424 - 33636, n=105, last 2 years) | |
| Schenker XMG Pro 18 M26 (v8.20.8100) | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus (13019 - 14874, n=8) | |
| Acer Nitro 18 AI AN18-61-R10V (v6.92.6600) | |
| Medion Erazer Beast 18 X1 MD62731 (v6.92.6600) | |
| Gigabyte Gaming A18 Pro (v8.20.8100) | |
| AIDA64 / FPU Mandel | |
| MSI Vector A18 HX A9W (v6.92.6600) | |
| Schenker XMG Pro 18 M26 (v8.20.8100) | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus (81013 - 115371, n=8) | |
| Average of class Gaming (25115 - 196829, n=105, last 2 years) | |
| Medion Erazer Beast 18 X1 MD62731 (v6.92.6600) | |
| Asus TUF Gaming A18 FA808UP-S8022W (v6.92.6600) | |
| Acer Nitro 18 AI AN18-61-R10V (v6.92.6600) | |
| Gigabyte Gaming A18 Pro (v8.20.8100) | |
| AIDA64 / CPU AES | |
| MSI Vector A18 HX A9W (v6.92.6600) | |
| Schenker XMG Pro 18 M26 (v8.20.8100) | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus (119656 - 143205, n=8) | |
| Medion Erazer Beast 18 X1 MD62731 (v6.92.6600) | |
| Average of class Gaming (39258 - 247074, n=105, last 2 years) | |
| Asus TUF Gaming A18 FA808UP-S8022W (v6.92.6600) | |
| Acer Nitro 18 AI AN18-61-R10V (v6.92.6600) | |
| Gigabyte Gaming A18 Pro (v8.20.8100) | |
| AIDA64 / CPU ZLib | |
| MSI Vector A18 HX A9W (v6.92.6600) | |
| Schenker XMG Pro 18 M26 (v8.20.8100) | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus (1622 - 2340, n=8) | |
| Medion Erazer Beast 18 X1 MD62731 (v6.92.6600) | |
| Average of class Gaming (574 - 2531, n=105, last 2 years) | |
| Acer Nitro 18 AI AN18-61-R10V (v6.92.6600) | |
| Asus TUF Gaming A18 FA808UP-S8022W (v6.92.6600) | |
| Gigabyte Gaming A18 Pro (v8.20.8100) | |
| AIDA64 / FP64 Ray-Trace | |
| MSI Vector A18 HX A9W (v6.92.6600) | |
| Schenker XMG Pro 18 M26 (v8.20.8100) | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus (15810 - 23843, n=8) | |
| Average of class Gaming (5509 - 45446, n=105, last 2 years) | |
| Asus TUF Gaming A18 FA808UP-S8022W (v6.92.6600) | |
| Acer Nitro 18 AI AN18-61-R10V (v6.92.6600) | |
| Medion Erazer Beast 18 X1 MD62731 (v6.92.6600) | |
| Gigabyte Gaming A18 Pro (v8.20.8100) | |
| AIDA64 / CPU PhotoWorxx | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus (51134 - 65272, n=8) | |
| Schenker XMG Pro 18 M26 (v8.20.8100) | |
| Medion Erazer Beast 18 X1 MD62731 (v6.92.6600) | |
| Average of class Gaming (12271 - 89891, n=105, last 2 years) | |
| Gigabyte Gaming A18 Pro (v8.20.8100) | |
| MSI Vector A18 HX A9W (v6.92.6600) | |
| Asus TUF Gaming A18 FA808UP-S8022W (v6.92.6600) | |
| Acer Nitro 18 AI AN18-61-R10V (v6.92.6600) | |
| AIDA64 / CPU CheckMate | |
| Schenker XMG Pro 18 M26 (v8.20.8100) | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus (5428 - 8765, n=7) | |
| Average of class Gaming (2559 - 20751, n=25, last 2 years) | |
| Gigabyte Gaming A18 Pro (v8.20.8100) | |
System and storage performance
Given the strong CPU performance, it’s no surprise that the XMG Pro 18 ranks near the top in our system benchmarks. Its fast SSD likely helps, too. Our review unit came with the 2 TB Samsung 9100 Pro, which topped 10,000 MB/s in some sequential tests.
PCMark 10: Score | Essentials | Productivity | Digital Content Creation
CrossMark: Overall | Productivity | Creativity | Responsiveness
Mozilla Kraken 1.1: Total
| Performance rating | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Laptop | |
| Schenker XMG Pro 18 M26 | |
| MSI Vector A18 HX A9W | |
| Acer Nitro 18 AI AN18-61-R10V -1! | |
| Average of class Gaming | |
| Medion Erazer Beast 18 X1 MD62731 | |
| Gigabyte Gaming A18 Pro | |
| Asus TUF Gaming A18 FA808UP-S8022W | |
| PCMark 10 / Score | |
| Schenker XMG Pro 18 M26 | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Laptop (10891 - 11570, n=2) | |
| MSI Vector A18 HX A9W | |
| Acer Nitro 18 AI AN18-61-R10V | |
| Average of class Gaming (5828 - 12414, n=95, last 2 years) | |
| Medion Erazer Beast 18 X1 MD62731 | |
| Gigabyte Gaming A18 Pro | |
| Asus TUF Gaming A18 FA808UP-S8022W | |
| PCMark 10 / Essentials | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Laptop (11587 - 11935, n=2) | |
| Schenker XMG Pro 18 M26 | |
| MSI Vector A18 HX A9W | |
| Average of class Gaming (8810 - 12187, n=99, last 2 years) | |
| Acer Nitro 18 AI AN18-61-R10V | |
| Medion Erazer Beast 18 X1 MD62731 | |
| Asus TUF Gaming A18 FA808UP-S8022W | |
| Gigabyte Gaming A18 Pro | |
| PCMark 10 / Productivity | |
| Schenker XMG Pro 18 M26 | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Laptop (16565 - 23179, n=2) | |
| Acer Nitro 18 AI AN18-61-R10V | |
| Gigabyte Gaming A18 Pro | |
| Average of class Gaming (6845 - 25323, n=97, last 2 years) | |
| MSI Vector A18 HX A9W | |
| Medion Erazer Beast 18 X1 MD62731 | |
| Asus TUF Gaming A18 FA808UP-S8022W | |
| PCMark 10 / Digital Content Creation | |
| MSI Vector A18 HX A9W | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Laptop (15646 - 17730, n=2) | |
| Medion Erazer Beast 18 X1 MD62731 | |
| Schenker XMG Pro 18 M26 | |
| Average of class Gaming (7602 - 19954, n=97, last 2 years) | |
| Asus TUF Gaming A18 FA808UP-S8022W | |
| Acer Nitro 18 AI AN18-61-R10V | |
| Gigabyte Gaming A18 Pro | |
| CrossMark / Overall | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Laptop (2197 - 2390, n=2) | |
| Schenker XMG Pro 18 M26 | |
| MSI Vector A18 HX A9W | |
| Average of class Gaming (1366 - 2409, n=98, last 2 years) | |
| Medion Erazer Beast 18 X1 MD62731 | |
| Gigabyte Gaming A18 Pro | |
| Asus TUF Gaming A18 FA808UP-S8022W | |
| Acer Nitro 18 AI AN18-61-R10V | |
| CrossMark / Productivity | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Laptop (2078 - 2254, n=2) | |
| Schenker XMG Pro 18 M26 | |
| MSI Vector A18 HX A9W | |
| Average of class Gaming (1386 - 2254, n=98, last 2 years) | |
| Medion Erazer Beast 18 X1 MD62731 | |
| Gigabyte Gaming A18 Pro | |
| Asus TUF Gaming A18 FA808UP-S8022W | |
| Acer Nitro 18 AI AN18-61-R10V | |
| CrossMark / Creativity | |
| MSI Vector A18 HX A9W | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Laptop (2349 - 2571, n=2) | |
| Schenker XMG Pro 18 M26 | |
| Average of class Gaming (1343 - 2786, n=98, last 2 years) | |
| Medion Erazer Beast 18 X1 MD62731 | |
| Gigabyte Gaming A18 Pro | |
| Asus TUF Gaming A18 FA808UP-S8022W | |
| Acer Nitro 18 AI AN18-61-R10V | |
| CrossMark / Responsiveness | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Laptop (2129 - 2289, n=2) | |
| Schenker XMG Pro 18 M26 | |
| Gigabyte Gaming A18 Pro | |
| Average of class Gaming (1241 - 2334, n=98, last 2 years) | |
| MSI Vector A18 HX A9W | |
| Medion Erazer Beast 18 X1 MD62731 | |
| Asus TUF Gaming A18 FA808UP-S8022W | |
| Acer Nitro 18 AI AN18-61-R10V | |
| Mozilla Kraken 1.1 / Total | |
| Asus TUF Gaming A18 FA808UP-S8022W | |
| Gigabyte Gaming A18 Pro | |
| Average of class Gaming (391 - 590, n=105, last 2 years) | |
| Medion Erazer Beast 18 X1 MD62731 | |
| MSI Vector A18 HX A9W | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Laptop (391 - 394, n=2) | |
| Schenker XMG Pro 18 M26 | |
* ... smaller is better
| PCMark 10 Score | 11570 points | |
Help | ||
| AIDA64 / Memory Copy | |
| Schenker XMG Pro 18 M26 | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus (76912 - 93930, n=8) | |
| Medion Erazer Beast 18 X1 MD62731 | |
| Average of class Gaming (21750 - 129946, n=105, last 2 years) | |
| Asus TUF Gaming A18 FA808UP-S8022W | |
| Gigabyte Gaming A18 Pro | |
| MSI Vector A18 HX A9W | |
| Acer Nitro 18 AI AN18-61-R10V | |
| AIDA64 / Memory Read | |
| Schenker XMG Pro 18 M26 | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus (84638 - 98574, n=8) | |
| Medion Erazer Beast 18 X1 MD62731 | |
| Average of class Gaming (22956 - 118858, n=105, last 2 years) | |
| MSI Vector A18 HX A9W | |
| Gigabyte Gaming A18 Pro | |
| Asus TUF Gaming A18 FA808UP-S8022W | |
| Acer Nitro 18 AI AN18-61-R10V | |
| AIDA64 / Memory Write | |
| Asus TUF Gaming A18 FA808UP-S8022W | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus (76094 - 100988, n=8) | |
| Schenker XMG Pro 18 M26 | |
| Gigabyte Gaming A18 Pro | |
| Medion Erazer Beast 18 X1 MD62731 | |
| Average of class Gaming (22297 - 135096, n=105, last 2 years) | |
| MSI Vector A18 HX A9W | |
| Acer Nitro 18 AI AN18-61-R10V | |
| AIDA64 / Memory Latency | |
| Gigabyte Gaming A18 Pro | |
| Medion Erazer Beast 18 X1 MD62731 | |
| Schenker XMG Pro 18 M26 | |
| Average Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus (100.7 - 108.4, n=8) | |
| Average of class Gaming (75.3 - 151.7, n=105, last 2 years) | |
| MSI Vector A18 HX A9W | |
| Asus TUF Gaming A18 FA808UP-S8022W | |
| Acer Nitro 18 AI AN18-61-R10V | |
* ... smaller is better
* ... smaller is better
Sustained read performance: DiskSpd read loop, queue depth 8
GPU and gaming performance
Nvidia’s Blackwell-based GeForce RTX 5070 Ti sits between the midrange and high end, with 5,888 shaders and 12 GB of VRAM. In Overboost mode, the XMG Pro 18 holds up well against the competition, trailing the MSI Vector A18 HX by a narrow margin in 3DMark.
The XMG Pro 18 also performs well in games. Nearly all the games we tested ran smoothly at maximum settings, even at QHD resolution. It’s worth enabling DLSS or Frame Generation from the start only in extremely demanding games like Control Resonant when ray tracing is set high.
| 3DMark 11 Performance | 45688 points | |
| 3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score | 75192 points | |
| 3DMark Fire Strike Score | 37060 points | |
| 3DMark Time Spy Score | 17299 points | |
Help | ||
* ... smaller is better
| low | med. | high | ultra | QHD | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dota 2 Reborn (2015) | 244 | 212 | 202 | 188.9 | |
| X-Plane 11.11 (2018) | 148.9 | 115.9 | 102.8 | ||
| Baldur's Gate 3 (2023) | 187.2 | 160.7 | 150.1 | ||
| Cyberpunk 2077 (2023) | 173.7 | 152.2 | 131.8 | ||
| Resident Evil Requiem (2026) | 151.6 | 143.7 | 72.8 | 46.6 | |
| Death Stranding 2 (2026) | 105.9 | 102 | 80.8 | 60.9 | |
| Crimson Desert (2026) | 91 | 88.9 | 75.8 | 56.2 | |
| Pragmata (2026) | 152.5 | 120.9 | 87.8 | ||
| 007 First Light (2026) | 103.7 | 87.1 | 82.8 | 57.4 | |
| Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced (2026) | 101 | 91 | 61 | 47 | |
| Control Resonant (2026) | 83.8 | 72.9 | 33.4 | 21.4 |
Cyberpunk 2077 ultra FPS chart
Emissions & energy
System noise
The XMG Pro 18 is clearly audible under load, but it’s quieter under 3D workloads than many other 18-inch gaming laptops, which often exceed 50 dB(A). At idle, the system is usually quiet, staying below 30 dB(A) even in Overboost mode.
Noise level
| Idle |
| 26 / 27 / 28 dB(A) |
| Load |
| 48 / 49 dB(A) |
 | ||
30 dB silent 40 dB(A) audible 50 dB(A) loud |
||
min:  , med:  , max:  Earthworks M23R, Arta (15 cm distance) environment noise: 25 dB(A) | ||
| Schenker XMG Pro 18 M26 Ultra 9 290HX Plus, GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Laptop | Asus TUF Gaming A18 FA808UP-S8022W R7 260, GeForce RTX 5070 Laptop | Acer Nitro 18 AI AN18-61-R10V Ryzen AI 7 350, GeForce RTX 5070 Laptop | Gigabyte Gaming A18 Pro Core 7 240H, GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Laptop | MSI Vector A18 HX A9W R9 9955HX, GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Laptop | Medion Erazer Beast 18 X1 MD62731 Ultra 9 275HX, GeForce RTX 5080 Laptop | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Noise | 16% | -7% | -12% | -3% | -17% | |
| off / environment * (dB) | 25 | 23 8% | 24 4% | 26 -4% | 22.5 10% | 25 -0% |
| Idle Minimum * (dB) | 26 | 23 12% | 28 -8% | 28 -8% | 26 -0% | 25 4% |
| Idle Average * (dB) | 27 | 23 15% | 29 -7% | 31 -15% | 26 4% | 39 -44% |
| Idle Maximum * (dB) | 28 | 23 18% | 31 -11% | 34 -21% | 32 -14% | 42 -50% |
| Load Average * (dB) | 48 | 32.58 32% | 49 -2% | 49 -2% | 44.4 7% | 52 -8% |
| Cyberpunk 2077 ultra * (dB) | 49 | 45.13 8% | 54 -10% | 57 -16% | 49.8 -2% | 53 -8% |
| Load Maximum * (dB) | 49 | 56 -14% | 58 -18% | 61.6 -26% | 55 -12% |
* ... smaller is better
Temperature
Surface temperatures are in line with expectations for the XMG Pro 18, peaking at 47 °C on the top and 46 °C on the underside. One welcome detail is that the palm rest stayed comfortably cool throughout testing. The screenshot shows how the internal components behaved.
(-) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 47 °C / 117 F, compared to the average of 40.4 °C / 105 F, ranging from 21.2 to 68.8 °C for the class Gaming.
(-) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 46 °C / 115 F, compared to the average of 43.2 °C / 110 F
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are cooler than skin temperature with a maximum of 29 °C / 84.2 F and are therefore cool to the touch.
(±) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.8 °C / 83.8 F (-0.2 °C / -0.4 F).
| Schenker XMG Pro 18 M26 Ultra 9 290HX Plus, GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Laptop | Asus TUF Gaming A18 FA808UP-S8022W R7 260, GeForce RTX 5070 Laptop | Acer Nitro 18 AI AN18-61-R10V Ryzen AI 7 350, GeForce RTX 5070 Laptop | Gigabyte Gaming A18 Pro Core 7 240H, GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Laptop | MSI Vector A18 HX A9W R9 9955HX, GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Laptop | Medion Erazer Beast 18 X1 MD62731 Ultra 9 275HX, GeForce RTX 5080 Laptop | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heat | 14% | -9% | -5% | 1% | -2% | |
| Maximum Upper Side * (°C) | 47 | 39 17% | 44 6% | 48 -2% | 46.6 1% | 47 -0% |
| Maximum Bottom * (°C) | 46 | 41 11% | 57 -24% | 49 -7% | 45.6 1% | 48 -4% |
| Idle Upper Side * (°C) | 27 | 25 | 30 | 31.2 | 29 | |
| Idle Bottom * (°C) | 29 | 28 | 30 | 28.6 | 33 |
* ... smaller is better
Speakers
Sound quality is fairly good by laptop standards, surpassing that of models such as the Asus TUF Gaming A18 and the Acer Nitro 18 AI.
Schenker XMG Pro 18 M26 audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (85 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 15.3% lower than median
(+) | bass is linear (6.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 3.9% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (5.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 4.3% away from median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (7.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (12.9% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 17% of all tested devices in this class were better, 4% similar, 79% worse
» The best had a delta of 6%, average was 18%, worst was 132%
Compared to all devices tested
» 13% of all tested devices were better, 3% similar, 84% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 23%, worst was 136%
Asus TUF Gaming A18 FA808UP-S8022W audio analysis
(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (74.53 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 12.9% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (7.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 5.1% higher than median
(+) | mids are linear (5.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 4.1% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (6.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (16.9% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 45% of all tested devices in this class were better, 11% similar, 44% worse
» The best had a delta of 6%, average was 18%, worst was 132%
Compared to all devices tested
» 31% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 61% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 23%, worst was 136%
Acer Nitro 18 AI AN18-61-R10V audio analysis
(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (80 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 25% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (14.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 2% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (3.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 3.1% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (6.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (16.9% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 45% of all tested devices in this class were better, 11% similar, 44% worse
» The best had a delta of 6%, average was 18%, worst was 132%
Compared to all devices tested
» 31% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 61% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 23%, worst was 136%
Gigabyte Gaming A18 Pro audio analysis
(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (78 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 7.9% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (9.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 5.8% higher than median
(+) | mids are linear (5.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2.6% away from median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (9.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (13.5% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 20% of all tested devices in this class were better, 7% similar, 73% worse
» The best had a delta of 6%, average was 18%, worst was 132%
Compared to all devices tested
» 15% of all tested devices were better, 4% similar, 81% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 23%, worst was 136%
MSI Vector A18 HX A9W audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (86.2 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 16% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (10.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 5.7% higher than median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (7.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 3.3% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (6.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (13.5% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 20% of all tested devices in this class were better, 7% similar, 73% worse
» The best had a delta of 6%, average was 18%, worst was 132%
Compared to all devices tested
» 15% of all tested devices were better, 4% similar, 81% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 23%, worst was 136%
Medion Erazer Beast 18 X1 MD62731 audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (89 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 18.6% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (13% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 2.8% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (4.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 5.3% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (6.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (14.2% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 25% of all tested devices in this class were better, 7% similar, 67% worse
» The best had a delta of 6%, average was 18%, worst was 132%
Compared to all devices tested
» 18% of all tested devices were better, 4% similar, 78% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 23%, worst was 136%
Power consumption and battery life
The 18-inch XMG Pro 18 draws a modest 11–17 W at idle. Under load, it averages 121 W in 3DMark 06 and peaks at 317 W in the stress test. Those load figures are similar to what we measured on the Core Ultra 9 275HX–equipped Medion Erazer Beast 18 X1.
The large 99 Wh battery helps deliver strong battery life. The XMG Pro 18 lasted just under 10 hours in our Wi-Fi test, outlasting the other RTX 5070 Ti laptops in our comparison group.
| Off / Standby | 0.1 / 1.1 Watt |
| Idle | 10.7 / 12.6 / 16.7 Watt |
| Load |
121 / 317 Watt |
   
| |
Key:
min: ,
med: ,
max: Metrahit Energy | |
| Schenker XMG Pro 18 M26 Ultra 9 290HX Plus, GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Laptop | Asus TUF Gaming A18 FA808UP-S8022W R7 260, GeForce RTX 5070 Laptop | Acer Nitro 18 AI AN18-61-R10V Ryzen AI 7 350, GeForce RTX 5070 Laptop | Gigabyte Gaming A18 Pro Core 7 240H, GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Laptop | MSI Vector A18 HX A9W R9 9955HX, GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Laptop | Medion Erazer Beast 18 X1 MD62731 Ultra 9 275HX, GeForce RTX 5080 Laptop | Average of class Gaming | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Consumption | 25% | 26% | 14% | -113% | 3% | -18% | |
| Idle Minimum * (Watt) | 10.7 | 6.7 37% | 5.9 45% | 10 7% | 20.8 -94% | 7.9 26% | 12.8 ? -20% |
| Idle Average * (Watt) | 12.6 | 11.6 8% | 9.6 24% | 12.5 1% | 52.8 -319% | 11.5 9% | 18.4 ? -46% |
| Idle Maximum * (Watt) | 16.7 | 17.7 -6% | 17 -2% | 19.7 -18% | 54.5 -226% | 16.6 1% | 24.6 ? -47% |
| Load Average * (Watt) | 121 | 85 30% | 89 26% | 95 21% | 146.6 -21% | 130 -7% | 112.6 ? 7% |
| Cyberpunk 2077 ultra * (Watt) | 231 | 144 38% | 160.4 31% | 170.2 26% | 285 -23% | 253 -10% | |
| Load Maximum * (Watt) | 317 | 187 41% | 210 34% | 179 44% | 297.3 6% | 330 -4% | 262 ? 17% |
| Cyberpunk 2077 ultra external monitor * (Watt) | 139 | 154.6 | 169.6 | 278 | 245 |
* ... smaller is better
| Schenker XMG Pro 18 M26 Ultra 9 290HX Plus, GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Laptop, 99.9 Wh | Asus TUF Gaming A18 FA808UP-S8022W R7 260, GeForce RTX 5070 Laptop, 90 Wh | Acer Nitro 18 AI AN18-61-R10V Ryzen AI 7 350, GeForce RTX 5070 Laptop, 90 Wh | Gigabyte Gaming A18 Pro Core 7 240H, GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Laptop, 76 Wh | MSI Vector A18 HX A9W R9 9955HX, GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Laptop, 99 Wh | Medion Erazer Beast 18 X1 MD62731 Ultra 9 275HX, GeForce RTX 5080 Laptop, 99 Wh | Average of class Gaming | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battery runtime | 20% | 12% | -19% | -62% | -20% | -27% | |
| WiFi v1.3 (h) | 9.9 | 11.9 20% | 11.1 12% | 8 -19% | 3.8 -62% | 7.9 -20% | 7.22 ? -27% |
| Reader / Idle (h) | 7 | 5.96 ? |
Notebookcheck overall rating
Schenker Technologies’ XMG Pro 18 is an expensive but powerful desktop replacement. It earns good to very good marks in most categories, setting a high bar for its rivals.
Schenker XMG Pro 18 M26
- 11/04/2026 v8
Florian Glaser
Total Sustainability Score: Potential alternatives compared
Image | Model / Review | Price | Weight | Height | Display |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. 87.4%  | Schenker XMG Pro 18 M26 Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus ⎘ NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Laptop ⎘ 64 GB Memory, 2048 GB SSD | List Price: 4098 EUR | 2.9 kg | 26.5 mm | 18.00" 2560x1600 168 PPI IPS |
2. 83.8%  | Asus TUF Gaming A18 FA808UP-S8022W AMD Ryzen 7 260 ⎘ NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Laptop ⎘ 32 GB Memory, 1024 GB SSD | List Price: 2199 Euro | 2.6 kg | 26.7 mm | 18.00" 1920x1200 126 PPI IPS |
3. 81.2%  | Acer Nitro 18 AI AN18-61-R10V AMD Ryzen AI 7 350 ⎘ NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Laptop ⎘ 16 GB Memory, 1000 GB SSD | List Price: 1900 EUR | 3 kg | 25 mm | 18.00" 2560x1600 168 PPI IPS |
4. 78.7%  | Gigabyte Gaming A18 Pro Intel Core 7 240H ⎘ NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Laptop ⎘ 32 GB Memory, 1024 GB SSD | Amazon: 1. $1,769.99 GIGABYTE Gaming A18 - AMD Ry... 2. $1,707.49 GIGABYTE GAMING A16 PRO - In... 3. $1,699.00 GIGABYTE A18 3VH 18" WQXGA 1... List Price: 2399 EUR | 2.9 kg | 25 mm | 18.00" 2560x1600 168 PPI IPS |
5. 84.8%  | MSI Vector A18 HX A9W AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX ⎘ NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Laptop ⎘ 32 GB Memory | List Price: 3200 USD | 3.5 kg | 32.05 mm | 18.00" 2560x1600 189 PPI IPS |
6. 82.5%  | Medion Erazer Beast 18 X1 MD62731 Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX ⎘ NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 Laptop ⎘ 32 GB Memory, SSD | List Price: 3700 EUR | 3.6 kg | 30.4 mm | 18.00" 2560x1600 168 PPI IPS |
Transparency
The selection of devices to be reviewed is made by our editorial team. The test sample was provided to the author as a loan by the manufacturer or retailer for the purpose of this review. The lender had no influence on this review, nor did the manufacturer receive a copy of this review before publication. There was no obligation to publish this review. As an independent media company, Notebookcheck is not subjected to the authority of manufacturers, retailers or publishers.
This is how Notebookcheck is testing
Every year, Notebookcheck independently reviews hundreds of laptops and smartphones using standardized procedures to ensure that all results are comparable. We have continuously developed our test methods for around 20 years and set industry standards in the process. In our test labs, high-quality measuring equipment is utilized by experienced technicians and editors. These tests involve a multi-stage validation process. Our complex rating system is based on hundreds of well-founded measurements and benchmarks, which maintains objectivity. Further information on our test methods can be found here.
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